美丽的诗句

我一直都很欣赏能够写得一首好诗的文笔。以姓名作开端来吟诗又如何？至今诗中的字句乃历历在目，很感谢曾给我写过这么一首诗的人：

洪慧文章诗词卷，
美誉佳年在华年，
仪姿倩影如意至，
心想事成金名添。

虽然他只是个街边的卖艺人，但诗句的意义深远，曾给了我莫大的鼓励。每逢人生低潮，都想凭着诗句来自我鼓舞。

Christmas in the Village

We're almost in our last month of the year 2008! In other words, Christmas is just around the corner :) Christmas shopping will keep everyone busy for sure. This weekend, Gagetown is hosting its 13th annual "Christmas in the Village." The radio commercial has been playing over and over again since the beginning of the week. I was excited about this trip and couldn't wait to check out what they've to offer there!

The Village of Gagetown is about 40 minutes drive away from Fredericton. Founded in 1783 and incorporated in 1966, it's strategically located on the banks of Saint John River, midway between Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton. We went in a group of eight and took the free cable ferry ride across the majestic Saint John River. The ferry runs all year around between Lower Jemseg off Route 715 and Gagetown on Route 102.

Gagetown is a quaint little village with gracious homes. It's the birthplace of Samuel Leonard Tilley, one of the Fathers of Confederation.

The local post office in Gagetown.

Very neat christmas decoration outside a pub.




One of the many stores that opened to the public.

Items that were on sale includes pottery items, christmas crafts, homemade jams, drawings, and baked goods. These stores located all around the village. We walked from store to store for about one and a half hours before making a quick stop for lunch at a church. Baked beans, bread, donut, and tea for $5, quite a good deal. Just before that, we were offered hot apple cider and gingerbread cookies (in the shape of christmas tree & gingerbread man) at the museum. Yummy cookies and the soothing hot cider made a perfect combination in the cool winter day!

The hot apple cider and gingerbread cookies.

After lunch, we walked around the rest of the stores for another hour or so.

Very pretty christmas ornaments, nicely laid on the stairs.

I was looking for some local goods as christmas gifts. Guess what I found? Apple ice wine ($17) and sparkling apple cranberry cider ($5.75)!

We left the village of Gagetown around 3 p.m. On our way back to Fredericton, we had a stop over at the Gagetown military base (20 km from Fredericton) in Oromocto. The Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Gagetown is officially founded in 1958. It's operated by the Department of National Defense and owned by the Government of Canada. With a surface area of 1,100 square kilometres, it boasts to be one of the largest military bases in this country.

All kinds of service are offered at the base. Medical, dental, emergency... you name it. Bank, post office, movie theatre, and chapels can also be found here. Hence, what's your excuse to leave to base then? :P

A tank with the name "Addy" (in the black box) on it. See that? I'm honoured to have a tank named after me :)

Let It Snow...Let It Snow...Let It Snow...

I'll never forget the excitement I had when I experienced snow for the first time! Of course, the natural snowing is different from the artificial snow house I visited when I was little.

The snowfall in October, 2003.

The first day of snow in Fredericton this year happened last Wednesday (November 19th). More snow last Saturday (November 22nd)!

The winter view from my apartment.

I always look forward to the snow in winter. My mindset will probably change when I own a car and have to drive around in the harsh winter days :P I enjoy skating, even though I'm not a great skater. And of course, skiing! Downhill skiing particularly. The scenic view from the mountain top, the thrill of maneuvering the skis, and the cold rush of wind as I make my way down the mountain (smoothly, hopefully). If I don't? Oh well, it's just another learning opportunity. Get up when you fall. Otherwise? You're stuck in the middle of nowhere, miss out the chance to explore new terrain, and fail to enjoy loads of fun and excitement that await you!

Similarly, we fall and stumble in life. We might get bruises when we fall from skiing, but they come and go; just like mistakes we made that are forgivable. Avoid falling on hard surfaces and sharp edges to keep away from serious injuries. It's comparable to some major faults we commit in life that can be no turning back. We want to refrain from doing that by all means. Nonetheless, no matter how hard we fall, just bear in mind that it's not the end of the world. Move on and thrive through the challenges. Soar like an eagle!

Racine's

Racine's is one of the best restaurants that I ever been to in Fredericton. Located in the heart of downtown Fredericton on Queet St., it has a lot to offer on its lunch menu. Price ranges between $10 and $14 for a main course, which is pretty decent, given that fresh ingredients are used and presentation is simply marvelous.

Burgers, sandwiches, wraps, flatbread pizzas, Asian bowls etc. have their ways to fit your taste. I've been here for lunch a few times and tried the chicken burger, sandwich, and flatbread pizza. Just like always, I tried something different this time - the Asian bowl. With a choice of mild/medium/hot, egg noodles/rice pilaf, chicken/beef/shrimps, I ordered hot egg noodles with chicken.

The Asian bowl for $11.

Fiona ordered the Chicken Burger.

Stephanie had the Philly Steak Sandwich.

Renée had the Beef Wrap.

Tracy had the Cordon Bleu Sandwich that was new on the menu. "Cordon Bleu" is a French term, literally translated as "blue ribbon," that originally referred to an award for culinary excellence given to women cooks! The term can now apply to any superior cook (yes, men too), and also to this dish (chicken, ham and Swiss cheese slices, breaded and sauteed).

The Cordon Bleu Sandwich.

Self Investment - Find the Greatest Treasure in YOU

I had a brief discussion with Eric about self investment a few days ago.

Eric: I'm going to do a presentation about self investment. A working person invest in self development through attending part-time courses, which can be for work or personal interests.

Me: I see. Instead of the commonly known financial investment, we invest in ourselves for a better future.

Eric: (busy applying face cream) Yeah.

Me: That's exactly what you're doing. Invest in face cream for a nice complexion!

Eric: (making a face) That's not exactly what I mean!

Me: It's a good example though. Haha...

Anyway, I spent some time putting my thoughts together. Enjoy reading!

Why do we invest? What's the purpose of making an investment? For most of us, financial investment is the first thing that comes into mind when someone mentions about the term "investment." Here is the definition of "invest" from the online FreeDictionary that fits into this context: to commit (money or capital) in order to gain a financial return. More often than not, investments are made to ensure a secured life and a brighter future. We invest in the stock markets, mutual funds, bonds, properties etc. The ultimate goal is simply a rewarding return (the higher the merrier) in the future. We reap the benefits of investments and hopefully, have a comfortable life when we retire.

Despite the advantages of financial investment, how many of us actually thought of self investment? Well, we did it for education since young. We spent time, energy, and money in getting a good education. Then what? We should look at self investment as an act of investing in oneself for a life-long personal development. Here is another definition of the word "invest": to spend or devote for future benefits.

Self investment is a long term investment. We understand that a long-term investment in the share market takes advantage of market rebounds and generally results in superior returns. Likewise, education is not the end of the story for self investment; instead, we should develop special interests in various fields for our physical, mental, and spiritual growths, as well as to discover our inner talents.

Why do you think parents want their children to get involved in different activities, such as skating, drawing, playing piano, and swimming? It gives children the opportunities to master special skills, be it technical, social, or even management. We realized the significance of being an all-rounder and it'll only make sense that we make it happen.

What are the ways to do it? Below are a few examples:

(1) Attend part-time courses to allow personal growth. Qualification is the fundamental of a job requirement. Personal development and experience are perhaps something that would distinct between you and your co-workers. Attend various courses, seminars, and workshops. Be initiative, innovative, and creative, in order to stand out from the crowd.

(2) Reading. Invest some money and time in good reading materials, whether they're for general interests, study, or work-related. Reading is a great way for self-enhancement. It stimulates new ideas and build new perspectives that we can put into practice in life.

(3) Sports. Staying active is an excellent way to promote physical health and wellness. Brisk walking, biking, skiing, hiking etc. You name it! Get involved in your favourite sports.

(4) Traveling. It helps to broaden our horizons and allows relaxation.

(5) Build a social network. Spend quality time with family and friends. Strong relationships offer strong support in our endeavours. Share experiences in life and learn from others' mistakes. A mistake made is a lesson learned.

Basically, it can be anything beneficial that we enjoy doing. Learning a new language, knitting, cross-stitching, designing and much more. Getting ourselves involved in activities other than studies and work. We need a variety of learning experience to stay upbeat and keep up with the changes in everyday life.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

~ Romans 12:2 a & b (NIV)

Decision is in our hands. Be motivated to invest in ourselves as the harvest is bountiful. It's never too late to start investing now. Invest in yourself, and find the greatest treasure in you that brings forth a fulfilling future. Below is a famous quote about investment in knowledge:

"If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest."

~ Benjamin Franklin

When Troubles Come

Isn't it frustrating when you can't find something that you're searching so hard for, especially when you knew that you had it put away?! At that instant, I wished all my belongings were tagged and can be located by a personal GPS device. Wouldn't that be a perfect world to live in?

Even before GPS becomes popular, I had this little dream of creating an inventory list which includes all the information I need for my belongings: date of purchase, value, place of storage etc. In case I can't find anything that I'm looking for, I can just go through the list and find it right away (provided that I don't lose my inventory list)! How wonderful would that be?

With the technology advancement of GPS, perhaps we can come up with something more sophisticated. Put a little tag on all my belongings and store their personal information in my GPS device. When this machinery for information technology becomes available, I'll never ever have to suffer from the annoyance of losing my things!!

The reality is that, when I fail to locate my belongings after a painful search (usually 30 minutes to an hour), I stop searching. It's not that I'm giving up, but to give myself a break from the frustration. Believe it or not, the "lost" item will usually appear after a couple of days. So, the trick is to be patient and allow some time for memory recovery.

Believe it or not, this is the time when I need Doraemon (the amazing Japanese cartoon character) the most!

Blood Donation - It's in You to GIVE

What's your reaction to a needle-pricking pain? How about leaving a needle in your arm for 10 minutes? Shocking? Scary? Ridiculous? Impossible??

I'm grateful that my healthy body is fit for blood donation. If the needle-pricking pain is your problem, think about this: would you ever give up a chance to live on, if one day you happen to experience blood lost and blood transfusion is the only way to save your day? Would you then refuse to accept blood, just because you're afraid of needles? Not a CHANCE!!! By the same token, why not be a generous donor and share with others the goodness of life? It's in you to give! What do you have to lose?

At a young age, I envied those who're over 18 of age and are able to donate blood. Why would someone who used to afraid of swallowing pills and needle-pricking like me be brave enough to go for blood donation? I believe in overcoming fears in life, especially if it's unnecessary fears. If you want to stay healthy, simply swallow the prescribed pills; if there's something else you develop a greater fear of (which surely you do), just go for blood donation!

I was really excited for my first blood donation in 2005, at the blood donor clinic on the university campus. I've to admit that one of the motivations was the bonus point from my Biochem. lab professor who encouraged students in her class to participate in blood donation ;) I had bad experience donating blood the first couple of times. I've slow blood flow due to my tiny veins, and nurses had to give up after a while before they could gather the desired amount of blood from me! I pray hard every time I go for blood donation that my blood would flow freely and let it fill up the bag. My prayer was answered at last, when I started using my right arm (even though I used it before and it didn't work)! Apparently, I've larger veins on my right arm and twice so far, that it worked perfectly! Nevertheless, I spent 14 minutes instead of an average of 10 minutes for most people. The nurse was worried at some point that I might not be able to make it through and had to adjust the needle's position... Ha... I proved him wrong :P

I'm surprised to find out my blood type (B+) is rather rare in Canada, about 7.6% of all blood types. O+ is the most common (39%), followed by A+ (36%), O- (7%), A- (6%), AB+ (2.5%), B- (1.5%), and O- (0.5%).

Do you know?
1. Each blood donation can save up to three individuals. One unit of whole blood can be separated into red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
2. On average, a hip replacement requires one unit of blood, a cardiac bypass needs 2 units, a heart transplant 2 units, and a liver transplant 10 units!
3. Blood cannot be manufactured. It can only be given as a gift from people.
4. Blood donors can donate as frequent as every 56 days.
5. One unit of blood is ~450 mls for each donation.
6. The process of blood donation, from start to finish, takes only one hour! Hemoglobin (iron) testing, answering donor questionnaire, blood pressure & body temperature reading, blood donation, and 5 minutes of rest.
7. A blood sample from the donation is taken for testing transmissible diseases, prior to usage.
8. You burn about 650 calories for each pint (~ 473 mls) of blood donated.

What are you waiting for? Call the Canadian Blood Services today to make an appointment (1 888 2 DONATE)! Remember, it's in you to give! Be the ONE who makes a difference in someone else's life *v*

Egg Tart

My love for egg tarts is on a par with Mom's love for taro cake, Dad's love for almond cookies, Bro's love for BBQ pork, and Sis' love for stuffed glutinous rice balls. Egg tart is certainly one of the food items that I missed most from home. I tried making egg tarts with a friend two years ago from an online recipe and they turned out great! I've been making egg tarts occasionally since then. Thanks to Pierre for his effort finding the recipe :)

Ingredients:

(A) Pastry

1/2 cup + 1/3 cup margarine/butter

1/3 cup icing sugar (sifted)

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (sifted)

1 beaten egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

(B) Filling

2 eggs (lightly beaten)

3 1/2 tbsp sugar

160 mls water

26 mls evaporated milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix the margarine, icing sugar, egg, and vanilla extract from (A) together. Slowly add all-purpose flour while stirring the mixture.

2. Chill the pastry dough for ~ 2 hours in the refrigerator, or at least 30 minutes in the freezer.

3. While waiting, mix the ingredients from (B) together.

4. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F.

5. Once the pastry dough is ready, take ~ 2 tbsp of dough and spread it evenly on a tart mould. Do the same using the rest of the dough. It yields ~ 10 standard-sized tarts.

6. Prick holes with a fork on the bottom of the unbaked tarts.

7. Slowly pour the tart filling into each mould about 3/4 full.

8. Bake tarts for 25-30 minutes until the tart shells turn light brown and the fillings fully solidify.

9. Cool the tarts and dig in!

My Favourite Watch - The END

What's your personal favourite? I love my watch, a watch that I've been wearing for the past eleven years... since the I was twelve. It was a reward from Dad for my academic achievement in UPSR exam. Since I got straight A's, I was even allowed to request for two watches: a waterproof sport watch and a lady watch! The former was given to my brother as a regift five years ago since he needed one.

Years after years, I've been wearing my favourite watch at major exams such as PMR, SPM, IELTS, finals during university years etc. It was a loyal companion through my ups and downs in life. Even though I received two other watches (Adidas and Guess) in the past few years, this was still the one I wore most often. It has such a great sentimental value to me, and I treasured it a lot.

It wasn't one of the fancy watches that cost you a fortune. Conversely, the cost was around RM30. Its look was simple yet elegant. I simply love it, especially the Roman letters on it (from one to twelve). I was confused with the letters at one point and hoping wishfully that, by looking at my watch everyday I'll soon learn them. So I did ;)

The belt watch has been changed numerous times, once every two to three years. I insisted in having the blue belt with silver metal, because it matched well with the watch design.

The happiness with my favourite watch lasted till yesterday. Something disasterous happened... it was left in my jeans' pocket when I soaked, hand-washed, and dried the pants in the dryer!! I didn't realize it until I was putting away my clothes into the closet.... and I saw this....

My heart was broken, just as the watch did! I can't believe that I was so cruel to it and has ended its life through the process of drowning it in suffocating laundry detergent with lemon scent and exposing it to the ultimate heat tanning in the dryer...

I've no one to blame but myself. I was quite upset about it since last night. The moral of the lesson, check your pockets before dumping clothes into the laundry basket! When I mentioned this to Paul that my favourite watch I've been wearing for major occasions went kaput, he replied "there's something I bring with me everywhere I go, UPSR, PMR, SPM, midterms, final exams..." As I was still wondering what could that be, a burst of laughter came from Paul and he said "my ASS!!" Hahaha... I can't help but to join him in laughter. That was a good one!

To me, what's important in life is the personal attitudes and perspectives that can really make a great impact to the world. Material things come and go, but the spirit within us is eternal. It's too bad that I can't keep something of a great sentimental value any longer, but I'd cherish the memory and keep in mind that most things in life don't last forever. Deal with it, get over it, and continue on with life!

p/s: R.I.P., my favourite silver sky blue watch, for you've brighten my days in times of trial. God bless you! xoxo

Daylight Saving Time

One of the few things that I've to get used to living in Canada is to remember about the time switching in the spring and fall. "Spring forward, fall backward" implies the change of time in the spring (an hour ahead), and in the fall (an hour behind). In other words, you lose an hour in the spring but gain an hour in the fall. What does that mean? It means I've just got an extra hour of sleep! The change of time takes place on the first Sunday in November and second Sunday in March, both at 2:00 a.m. It used to be on the last Sunday in October and first Sunday in April at one point. It amuses me how the clock system works on electronic gadgets, e.g. computers and cell phones. According to the time zone it's set for, the clock will automatically turn back time, it strikes 1:00 a.m. from 1:59 a.m. when it really supposed to be 2:00 a.m. I'm really impressed...

What's the point of Daylight Saving Time? This idea was first introduced in the early 20th century and has been adopted by most of the western countries. It's meant to provide more daylight hours in the afternoon for various activities. Furthermore, it contributes towards energy savings, i.e. more daylight hours during working hours leads to energy efficiency. It's even shown a drop in accident rate, i.e. driving to work at 7 a.m. in the dark is more prone to accident than in the light.

I thought it was bazaar when I first realized that I've to switch my clock back and forward! If you're not paying attention, you may show up an hour early for an appointment in the fall and an hour late for your test in the spring! Therefore, it's important to take note of your calender, or simply still, make sure you've the right time zone selected on your computer and it does the miracle :)

Something to keep in mind though, majority of Saskatchewan and parts of northeastern British Columbia, as well as some places in the USA (Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico etc.) obey the standard time all year long.

The importance of time standardization reminds me of the synchronization of time zone between the East and West Malaysia in 1981. Under the premiership of Dr. Mahathir, West Malaysians moved their clocks ahead by 30 minutes to match the time zone used in East Malaysia (8 hours ahead of GMT). Singapore followed suit the following year, to ease the trades across the causeway. This explains why the dawn is observed sooner (6 a.m.) in East Malaysia than the West (6:30 a.m.)! It simply because the West Malaysians have moved their clocks forward.

Time, time, time... how fascinating it is!